3 Shape Fretboard

“3 Shape Fret-board by Gareth Evans is a thorough workbook for learning to understand and play scales on the guitar. The sheer number of different scales and modes may seem overwhelming, but the knowledge of the three basic shapes and a basic understanding of intervals will help a lot in seeing through the jungle. A tour de force of fret-board and scale knowledge.” Mathias Lang, Guitar Teacher & Composer (Netherlands)


3-Shape Fretboard is for intermediate to advanced guitarists interested in learning how to work out guitar scales and arpeggios for themselves. Being able to create guitar scales and arpeggios yourself can give a better understanding, while knowing the logic behind them can make them more meaningful and therefore easier to learn.


- The Major Scale


It all starts with the major scale, the basis of music. All other scales and arpeggios can be defined in comparison to this scale. The book reflects this in practical terms by categorising the major scale into three different fundamental shapes, which once understood, can be used as templates to figure out other guitar scales and arpeggios.

- The CAGED system


This system can help to understand the larger CAGED guitar scale shapes in terms of their single octave components. For example, the five CAGED shapes for the major (or minor) pentatonic scales that each contain twelve notes, can be learned as only two shapes of five notes, which are joined end to end to give us the five full CAGED shapes.


- What Else?


>> Various 3-Note per string scales can be understood as the same combination of single octave component types.

>> See how basic major and minor chords are formed from within scales and look at triad and 7th chord based harmony.

>> Each scale and arpeggio type has a question, with the answer at the back of the book in guitar tablature.

>> 3-Shape Fretboard contains 600 fretboard diagrams.

>> Intervals are grouped together in the context of the scales they are intended for, which can provide a foundation for learning intervals individually on the fretboard.


"The 3 pattern approach is very interesting and well documented. There is lot's of good material and I like the approach. Very well organised, complete and clear with plenty of diagrams." Fabien Aubry, Composer, Arranger & Producer (Switzerland)